In lock down and locked out of travel? Many of us may be dreaming of times ahead when we can set off on the open road, or head to the airport to tick off our bucket lists. There’s nothing like a pandemic to provide a wakeup call and remind us what’s really important in life.
And yet, while we may be dreaming about where we want to go when all this is over… to hike through the pristine wilderness of Tasmania, or float in turquoise waters off Thailand, our bank balances may say something very different. With Australia’s unemployment rate tipped to hit double digits by June, chances are, many of us won’t be able to afford to go anywhere for quite some time. That is, except for an exclusive few.
There are some 180,000 Australians who have pre-paid for a large chunk of their holidays for years to come. Unlike the rest of us, who have to factor in the cost of accommodation into our travel budgets, these savvy travellers have that part already taken care of.
The travel elite among us today are the timeshare owners.
Not only do they not have the worry of the cost of future holidays, their holiday accommodation is typically in large, self-contained apartments giving them the option of dining in and cooking for themselves. This means when travelling post pandemic, if restaurants make them nervous, they can stay indoors.
“If travel is really important to you, no matter what is happening with the economy, as a timeshare owner you know you will always have your holiday accommodation,” said Barry Robinson, President and Managing Director, International Operations, Wyndham Vacation Clubs. “Even if we can’t travel internationally for a while, when the national restrictions ease, Club Wyndham South Pacific owners have 25 resorts across Australia to choose from.”
There are over 100 timeshare resorts in Australia, and 3460 Timeshare apartments. Around 53 percent of the apartments are two-bedroom, and 27 percent are one-bedroom apartments.
(Source: Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Industry – 2016 Economic Contribution Report – AEC)
The bigger timeshare clubs like Club Wyndham South Pacific offer everything from studios right through to three and four-bedroom apartments at a choice of resorts across Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, Asia and Europe.
“If it was not for our membership we wouldn’t have been able to do the things we have and go to the places we have. We have been taking our children to experience new things and places since they were born. It has opened so many opportunities for us,” said Nicola Geddes, Club Wyndham South Pacific owner since 2004.
“It is the best thing we have ever done. Love all the resorts that we have been too,” said Trina Morrison, Club Wyndham South Pacific owner since 2014.
When it comes to travel, it’s hard to say what the world is going to look like in six months’ time, let alone one month, but with widespread financial challenges for travellers, negative headlines about cruises and a desire for space in accommodation, timeshare has never looked better.
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